Welcome to the inaugural issue of The Python Post. This is the first and only time I’ll write one of these letters from the editor; I’ll leave the ones that follow to students (or even other teachers). But I wanted to take a second to tell you a bit about what you’re about to read, and why it matters, and why you should care.

Below, you will find the words of Comp Sci High students. They are personal, bold, compassionate, and filled with all the verve and soul and life that makes up a person. What I am trying to say is that, in each of the words below, you will find out who these students are. When you write, even when you write about others, you are putting parts of yourself on the page. It’s a kind of gift, then, that these students are giving us. We’d do well to receive it, to read it.

And who are these students? These students are members of the first ever Comp Sci High Journalism Class, students who are committed to telling stories — not just their own, but those of others.

There’s a lot that goes into a story. For some students, this meant going deep in their own beliefs and values. It meant sitting in a 9th grade classroom, and wondering what it was like to be younger. It meant trekking to the 2 train and asking people questions, people who have been overlooked by society. It meant opening up. It meant telling the story of a cherished teacher. It meant writing their heart out, getting edits, and doing it all again. It meant articulating a sense of care about something, even if they felt like they were the only ones who cared.

I hope that, when you read these words, you feel that sense of care. Maybe, too, these words will make you care — about something, or someone, that you hadn’t thought of before. That’s the beauty of stories, isn’t it? They make you care.

Thanks for reading,

Mr. Kelly